Maybe Love

Charlie went down the schoolyard stairs. Juniors and Seniors from each of the four prep schools in the area were hanging around. Every year, the schools host a gathering with live music, food trucks, and just festive vibes to welcome the long-awaited summer break. This year, it was Wessels' turn.

Taking the school pride in, she kept on going. Friend groups gossiping, young couples giggling and holding hands, parents and teachers chilling in the invisible yet delimited adult area. “Adequately visible to keep trouble away, hidden enough to give the youth freedom to be,” she thought.

Her phone buzzed in her purse. “The show started already! WRU?”. Her friend Leslie wasn’t one for patience; a quick “OMW!” would do the trick. Charlie waved at the handball team as she passed by; a collective hyped scream with her name came as a response. She was part of the female team, not to brag, but she knew she was quite good. The guys were replaying last night's victory, surrounded as usual by eager freshmen fans. She laughed, remembering her first high school crush on Linus, the former team captain. "I wonder if he made it to the National team in the end". She made a mental note to check on Instagram, never a bad idea to stalk a hot muscly guy you shared a couple of innocent team gatherings with.

It was always such an event to see the schools come to life as a venue, not just the everyday scenario for the usual teenage drama. Nodding to the sound of the live band playing ahead, she made her way into the crowd. Avoiding getting cheap sticky drinks on her dress as she was looking around for a familiar face, a tickling sensation went down her spine. The recognition of their proximity was always faster than their eyes meeting.

As she turned around, she could feel the nerves boiling up, her body knowing what it would find immediately after. Luke's deep blue eyes shone in between three lines of strangers, staring at her with that always playful smile.

- Look who made it! - he yelled as he approached her and hugged her tightly.

- My mom was both concerned and glad I had some social plans for a change.

Luke grabbed her by her shoulders and guided her back to the rest of the group.

Charlie and Luke have been best friends since kindergarten, yet they've always known they had feelings for each other. Those feelings have never been voiced, acted upon, or confessed to anyone. But for some reason, everyone in high school knew they had "a thing". The chemistry was palpable, the complicity magnetic. One way or another, they ended up teaming up for projects, sharing snacks during breaks, and sitting by the same desk in class. Easily laughing, cheering for each other at handball games, gossiping about classmates, talking about their most current crush, embarrassing each other with the latest ones, venting about being a misunderstood teenager in their families, holding each other through their first relationship experiences. They were, indeed, best friends.

However, when working on the same projects, Charlie would often go to his house to work on them. Both on his bed, his hand usually on her knee. During breaks, his arm around her, the occasional tickling fight, and a flirty punch as her response. In class, both staring at the teacher with their knees touching under the desk, her hand caressing his resting arm, his head sometimes falling on her shoulder for better comfort...

- I heard the singer wants to talk to you after the show! - Luke said, taking her mind away from replaying his smile when he saw her.

- Really? How do you know?

- He's Snowpeak's goalkeeper. We met their team earlier, and he mentioned he saw you playing last weekend. He seemed eager to know more about who you were.

- Oh yeah! The ginger head! He's quite cute, not gonna lie. And he signs, too? Not bad, not bad... Leslie was giggling for him in that match; if she hears, she'll tease me non-stop.

- That's cuz she both admires and envies you deeply.

- THERE YOU ARE! I was starting to think you bailed on us again! - Leslie screamed as she made it to the group with two cups in her hand, handing one to her friend.

- Speaking of the devil! - Lune whispered into Charlie’s ear and almost made her spill her drink.

They both laughed and continued dancing with their classmates. Just a couple of friends, enjoying being young and silly.

Maybe one day Luke and Charlie would give it a go to whatever they felt for each other. Maybe it was just platonic. Maybe they would get married. Maybe they would never see each other again after high school.

Maybe.

At 11 pm, Charlie was alone on the street waiting for their parents to pick her up. A slight headache was making its way to remind her of how not used to she was to music that loud. Her feet hurt in ways that no intense championship had ever made her ache like that. "Oh, to be young," she sarcastically thought.

She checked her phone again. “2 mins away!”. Her mom lived by the minute. She secretly loved that about her. Another text came through. “It was lovely chatting with you tonight, wanna go for coffee Friday?”. She smiled as she replied to the cute goalkeeper with a flirty confirmation on the date.

He came outside with the group and saw Charlie smiling at her phone, her dress slightly flowing with the summer night breeze. Luke walked away from his friends, taking his jacket off.

- Here, you don’t want to get sick and spoil your summer holidays - Luke said casually whilst putting the denim on Charlie’s shoulders.

- Oh, that would have been the perfect excuse to miss your massive birthday party next week. My head is killing me.

- Shut up, you can do better than that. And now, you’ll have to give my jacket back. Your moral demands it, and you know it.

- You’re the worst.

Luke laughed as he walked backwards to his friends.

- I’m the best of the worst, that’s why you love me.

They both stared at each other and laughed. She shook her head, knowing any attempt to fight back would be useless. He smirked, acknowledging his victory, and right before turning around, he couldn’t resist biting his lip.

“Maybe”. She put the jacket on properly as her parents’ blue Volvo turned around the corner.